North Carolina Mushrooms and other Fungi

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages

Note: I am no mushroom expert! Many thanks go to those who have identified these mushrooms for me, including Rytas Vilgalys, Jason Jackson, Greg Bonito, Ansel Bubel, and others.

	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011 Fairly large white mushrooms growing in a lawn. This mushroom commonly forms fairy rings in lawns and is poisonous. Do not eat.
	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011 Underside shows white gills.
	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011 Youngster
	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011
	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011 These mushrooms were growing in a nice "fairy ring" in a lawn in our neighborhood.
	Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum molybdites) Durham Co., NC 25 Sep 2011 Fairy rings, also known as elf circles or pixie rings, grow in forests, fields, and lawns and are circles or arcs of mushrooms connected underground by their mycelium.

	Caesar's Amanita (Amanita caesarea) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006 This species of Amanita is reported to be edible.
	Caesar's Amanita (Amanita caesarea) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Caesar's Amanita (Amanita caesarea) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Caesar's Amanita (Amanita caesarea) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011
	Caesar's Amanita (Amanita caesarea) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011

	Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006 Widespread and common, this species of Amanita is poisonous.
	Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

	#3723 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011 Common in the eastern US, as its name implies, these are the most poisonous mushrooms in the world and is responsible for a signifant portion of mushroom-related fatalities.
	#3723 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011 For reference, the diameter of the cap of these mushrooms is often larger than one's hand.
	#3723 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011

	#5192 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006 Possibly the same species as above or a closely related Death Angel. Either way, eating it would be fatal.
	#5192 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	#5192 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	#5192 Destroying Angel, Death Angel (Amanita sp.) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

	Armillaria tabescens Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Armillaria tabescens Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

	Bloodfoot Mushroom (Mycena haematopus) Orange Co., NC 28 Sep 2009
	Bloodfoot Mushroom (Mycena haematopus) Orange Co., NC 28 Sep 2009 When picked, the broken stipe "bleeds".

	Hairy Bolete (Suillus hirtellus) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Hairy Bolete (Suillus hirtellus) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Hairy Bolete (Suillus hirtellus) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Hairy Bolete (Suillus hirtellus) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

	Gomphidius sp. Orange Co., NC 11 Oct 2006
	Gomphidius sp. Orange Co., NC 11 Oct 2006
	Gomphidius sp. Orange Co., NC 11 Oct 2006

	Pleurotis sp. Moore Co., NC 12 Apr 2008
	Pleurotis sp. Moore Co., NC 12 Apr 2008

	Gymnopus iocephalus Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Gymnopus iocephalus Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

Melanoleuca maritima
Growing in the sand dunes at Cape Hatteras
Dare Co., NC
11 Nov 2006

	Coral fungus (Ramaria sp.) Mixed forest in Durham Co., NC 4 Nov 2009 One of the many species of coral fungi...
	Coral fungus (Ramaria sp.) Mixed forest in Durham Co., NC 4 Nov 2009

	probably Purple-spored Puffball (Calvatia cyathiformis) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011 These large puffball mushrooms are edible.
	probably Purple-spored Puffball (Calvatia cyathiformis) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011

	Earth Star (Geastrum saccatum) Pine woods in Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 18 Sep 2008
	Earth Star (Geastrum saccatum) Pine woods in Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 18 Sep 2008
	Earth Star (Geastrum saccatum) Pine woods in Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 18 Sep 2008
	Earth Star (Geastrum saccatum) Pine woods in Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 18 Sep 2008

	Wolf-fart Puffball, Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) Mixed forest in Durham Co., NC 4 Nov 2009 Thanks to Jason & Rytas for ID!
	Wolf-fart Puffball, Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) Mixed forest in Durham Co., NC 4 Nov 2009

	Chicken of the Woods Mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) Bottomland forest in Durham Co., NC 26 Oct 2009
	Chicken of the Woods Mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) Bottomland forest in Durham Co., NC 26 Oct 2009
	Chicken of the Woods Mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) Bottomland forest in Durham Co., NC 26 Oct 2009

	Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011 Edible when young, Hen-of-the-Woods is used in various oriental medicinal remedies as well as being eaten in many recipes.
	Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011
	Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa) Durham Co., NC 28 Sep 2011

	Turkey Tail Fungus (Trametes versicolor) Durham Co., NC 7 Sep 2008
	Turkey Tail Fungus (Trametes versicolor) Durham Co., NC 7 Sep 2008

	False Turkey Tail Fungus (Stereum ostrea) Orange Co., NC 24 Aug 2006
	False Turkey Tail Fungus (Stereum ostrea) Orange Co., NC 24 Aug 2006
	False Turkey Tail Fungus (Stereum ostrea) Orange Co., NC 24 Aug 2006

Nice shelf fungus on oak

Orange Co., NC
17 Mar 2007

Interesting fungus
Weymouth Woods, Moore Co., NC
14 March 2007

	Orange Jelly Fungus (Dacrymyces palmatus) Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006
	Orange Jelly Fungus (Dacrymyces palmatus)Orange Co., NC 15 Sep 2006

Cool violet - purple wood rot fungus
Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2009

Enteridium lycoperdon Slime Mold , #4383
Growing on Loblolly Pine trunk in Orange Co., NC
27 May 2008

About the size of a fist. White outer skin was very thin and easily broken. Inner mass was very soft.

Thanks to Margaretha Liebmann and John Smith for identifications.

Enteridium lycoperdon Slime Mold , #4383
Growing on Loblolly Pine trunk in Orange Co., NC
27 May 2008

Here are a fungi that appear to mimic flowers and some fungus-like galls produced by flies!

	Exobasidium vaccinii Brunswick Co., NC 15 May 2004 This fungus, growing on a blueberry shrub in a pine savanna, apprears to mimic a flower!
	Exobasidium vaccinii Brunswick Co., NC 15 May 2004
	Cypress flower gall midge (Taxodiomyia cupressi, formerly Itonida anthici) Cumberland Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 Although this looks very much like a fungus growing on Bald Cypress, it's actually a gall produced by a type of fly in the family Cecidomyiidae!
	Cypress flower gall midge (Taxodiomyia cupressi) Cumberland Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 Close-up of above
	Cypress leaf gall (Itonida taxodii) Cumberland Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 This is yet another gall produced by a different species of fly in the family Cecidomyiidae.

The following fungi are not found in North Carolina

	Morel Clearwater Co., ID 12 May 2010 Yum!

Thanks to Rytas Vilgalys, Jason Jackson and Greg Bonito for identification help!

Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Butterfly Page | Jeff's Nature Page

Created on ... Sep 22, 2006 | jspippen@duke.edu